Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02295057 1999-12-23
1
ADJUSTABLE MACHINE FOR THE VERTICAL ORIENTATION
AND ALIGNMENT OF EMPTY CONTAINERS
The present invention concerns an adjustable unit
for the unscrambling and lined up delivery of empty
containers which is specially provided for feeding
lightweight containers into filling lines.
The function of this type of units is that of
taking containers from a location where said containers
are grouped and randomly oriented in a scrambled
arrangement, to thereupon deliver them one by one and
oriented in an upright position (i.e. with their base
resting on the floor and with their neck upwards) onto
another given location such as for example onto a
conveyor or a filling line.
Several units are known in the prior art comprising
means to take container from a location where said
containers are piled up in a scrambled arrangement and to
individually deposit them in a lying position into a
plurality of bottomless cavities or receptacles situated
on a structure traveling along a closed circuit above a
supporting stationary floor. The containers are in this
way driven by the receptacle walls or cavity sides, and
are slidingly supported by the stationary floor. At a
discharge location said stationary floor has a gap
through which said containers are transferred by gravity
from said receptacles or cavities into discharge chutes.
There is one discharge chute associated to each of the
receptacles, and each of the receptacles has means to
support the neck of the container regardless of the
orientation of the container inside the receptacle, in
such a way that when the container falls it always does
so with its base first, this resulting in the upright
positioning of the container with its neck oriented
upwards.
European Patent EP-A-0 065 866 discloses a unit of
this type with a rotary disk provided with peripheral
openings defining container receiving cavities delimited
by radial appendages. In this unit, said means to support
the neck of the container regardless of its orientation
CA 02295057 1999-12-23
2
inside the peripheral cavities consist in supports
defined on said two appendages, situated one at each end
of the corresponding cavity delimited by them, designed
with a specific configuration as per their traveling
direction and the length of the container, since due to
the inertial and frictional forces the container does
always tend to rest against the trailing wall of the
receptacle as per the traveling direction. The appendage
corresponding to the leading wall in the traveling
direction does therefore comprise a simple support for
the neck of the container whereas the appendage
corresponding to the trailing wall integrates in addition
to a support for the neck a stop arrangement for the base
or bottom of said container in order to thus prevent said
base from coming to rest on said support. With this
arrangement, if the container is received in the cavity
with the neck oriented towards the trailing side said
container, due to the effect of the traveling motion,
will rest against said trailing side, with its neck
situated on the corresponding support whereas the base of
the container will be freely supported and will thus
slidingly travel on the stationary floor, since the
support provided at the leading wall is situated at a
predetermined distance as per the length of the container
in order not to interfere with its base. If the container
is received into the receptacle with the neck oriented
towards the leading side the base of said container, due
to the effect of the traveling motion, will rest against
the stop arrangement of the trailing appendage, and not
on the trailing support, thereby being supported by
gravity and slidingly traveling on the stationary floor
whereas the neck of the container, due to the stop of the
trailing appendage, will be situated on the corresponding
support of the appendage of the leading side. With this
arrangement both in one and in the other case when
arriving at the gap provided in the supporting stationary
floor the container finding itself in the receptacle will
always fall into the corresponding discharge chute with
its bottom or base first.
CA 02295057 1999-12-23
3
In spite of being effective, this arrangement has
the drawback that it requires a precise width of the
receptacle and a very accurate positioning of said
leading and trailing appendages within said receptacle,
according to the shape and dimensions of each type of
container. This means that in order to adapt a unit such
as the one disclosed in the above-mentioned European
Patent EP-A-0 065 866 to a different type of container it
is necessary to carry out a manual adjustment of the
position of said appendages one by one in a labor-
intensive, difficult and time-consuming operation
entailing a high financial cost.
U.S. Patent No. 4 681 209 to the same applicant of
this invention discloses a unit of this type comprising
radial parts having on one side a leading appendage and
on another side a trailing appendage, the cavities being
formed between two of said parts, these latter being apt
to be fixed in a plug-in connection to the moving
structure of the unit, and being thus replaceable in an
extraordinarily easy and quick way. Also in said unit the
discharge chutes are provided with quick fastening means,
and are also therefore easily replaceable.
This arrangement allows to better adapt the unit to
the dimensions of different types of containers in a
quick operation, but it has the drawback of not allowing
a transversal adjustment of the cavities, and of besides
requiring to keep in stock a set of radial parts and
discharge chutes adapted to each type of container, with
the consequent financial cost to be incurred because of
this, besides the problem of the storage space required.
The French Patent Application FR-A-91 12 375 by
this same applicant discloses an unscrambling unit of
this type with peripheral cavities delimited by radial
appendages wherein all of the leading appendages of the
compartments are fixed to a first structure whereas all
of the trailing appendages are fixed to a second
structure, this second structure being relatively
shiftable with respect to the first one, in such a way
that by adjusting the longitudinal distance between the
CA 02295057 1999-12-23
4
leading and trailing appendages in a compartment an
identical spacing is obtained in all of the remaining
compartments. Said French Patent Application FR-A-91 12
375 adopts a similar solution for the discharge chutes.
This solution represents a substantial improvement
with respect to Patent EP-A-065866, but it doesn't still
provide a solution to the problem of the adjustment of
the transversal width both of the compartments and the
discharge chutes. The adjacent radial parts are besides
connected in said patent by parts provided by way of
bellows, so that if the cavity has its length reduced a
wide circumferential area is rendered inoperative.
Another drawback that is common to all units disclosed in
the patents cited so far is the one consisting in the
nonexistence of an outer wall at the cavities, the
containers hence traveling in sliding contact with a
stationary outer wall forming a shell, and being impelled
against it by the centrifugal force when traveling along
a circumferential path.
Patent Application EP-0 578 602-B1 by the same
applicant of the present invention discloses on its side
a unit of this type wherein the cavities are formed by a
series of individual compartments similarly to the
discharge chutes, both the compartments and the chutes
being apt to be fixed in a plug-in connection to the
periphery of said rotary structure, such that both the
compartments and the discharge chutes are very easily and
quickly replaceable with no need of tools, a set both of
compartments and discharge chutes being available for
each type of container.
The solution of the replacement of the compartments
and discharge chutes has the advantage of providing, in a
quick and easy operation, an optimal adaptation to each
type of container in the three dimensions in space, the
outer wall of each compartment preventing besides the
containers from being in frictional contact against the
stationary outer wall as they travel. Nevertheless, this
system again requires a manufacturing and storage of one
set of said compartments and/or discharge chutes for each
CA 02295057 2006-07-13
different type of container, this then entailing a
consequent financial cost.
Everything stated above allows to conclude that there
is a need, in this industrial sector of the unscrambling
5 and lined up delivery of empty containers having means to
adapt said unit to different types of containers both in
the longitudinal and transversal directions in such a way
that said adaptation is carried out by means of a quick and
economical operation and without requiring a space
availability for the storage of replacement parts.
The present invention provides a unit of the type
discussed above provided with compartments with means
allowing to adjust both the width and the longitudinal and
transversal positions of the support for the neck of the
container at the leading side of the compartments with no
need to replace any parts.
The invention provides a unit of the above type
equipped with means to adjust the discharge chutes both in
the longitudinal and transversal directions with no need to
replace them.
The present invention provides a unit of the above
type wherein each of said adjustments is simultaneously
carried out in all of the compartments whether when
manually acting on a given single compartment or through
mechanical means.
The present invention provides a unit of the above
type wherein adjustable compartments can be combined with
replaceable discharge chutes.
These features and advantages are achieved in a unit
according to the invention by means of arranging all of the
compartments on a first structure that is apt to carry out
a traveling motion along a closed circuit. Each of the
compartments is provided, in an area in the vicinity of its
leading wall, with a transversal, elongated member such as
a bar or rod forming the leading support for the neck of
the
CA 02295057 1999-12-23
6
container and being apt to be longitudinally and
transversally shifted within said compartment, and with
one of the walls being fitted in such a way that it can
be transversally shifted within said compartment. Both
said elongated member and said shiftable wall can be
fixed in a desired position thus providing an adaptation
of said compartment to the height and width of a given
container.
All and each of said elongated rods or bars are
associated to a second structure that is relatively
shiftable with respect to the first one and can be fixed
in a desired position thus providing with simultaneity an
identical transversal positioning of the elongated
members in all of the compartments.
The transversal position of all and each of the
elongated members and/or of all and each of the shiftable
lateral walls can on its side be jointly and
simultaneously adjusted and fixed by means of, for
example, a manually actuated cam device or by any other
mechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic means.
The discharge chutes are formed by a leading wall,
a lateral wall and a trailing wall, with an open side
that is delimited by the wall of a stationary shell. All
and each of the trailing walls of said discharge chutes
are connected to said first structure whereas all and
each of the leading walls are connected to a third
structure that is shiftable with respect to the first
one, whereby the relative position between both the first
and third structures can be fixed in a desired position
thereby providing a simultaneous adaptation of all the
discharge chutes to the width of a given type of
container. Each shiftable lateral wall of said discharge
chutes is on its side apt to be transversally shifted
thereby allowing to adjust and fix in a desired position
its relative position with respect to the stationary wall
of the shell. By means of a manually actuated cam system
or by pneumatic or hydraulic means said adjustment is
carried out in a joint and simultaneous manner in all
discharge chutes for their adaptation to the width of a
CA 02295057 2006-07-13
7
given type of container.
In one of the exemplary embodiments of a unit
according to the present invention, each of the shiftable
lateral walls of the corresponding discharge chutes are
jointly formed by one part to be shifted in a transverse
direction, all and each of said parts being shifted to and
fixed in a desired position in a joint and simultaneous
manner thereby providing in one operation an adaptation of
all of the compartments and all of the discharge chutes to
the width of a given type of container.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an
adjustable unit for the unscrambling and lined up delivery
of empty lightweight containers comprising: a receptacle
(1) adapted to receive in bulk said containers (A), said
receptacle having a bottom (2) on which said containers (A)
accumulate, said bottom (2) having a peripheral portion (3)
spaced from a lateral wall (4) of said receptacle thus
defining a gap (5) through which the containers (A) can
pass; a plurality of adjacent compartments (6) arranged in
vicinity of said peripheral portion (3) and connected to a
first structure (7) so that said compartments travel along
a closed circuit, each compartment (6) adapted to receive
one container (A) in a lying position and oriented with an
open end (Al) adjacent to a leading or trailing side, with
respect to a direction of said traveling, each of said
compartments having an open bottom delimited by
arrangements (11 and 12) for supporting the open end (Al)
of the container (A) said trailing side having a stop
arrangement for the bottom of said container (A); a
plurality of discharge chutes (8) associated with said
first structure (7), each discharge chute (8) arranged
below each of said compartments (6) to receive said
containers (A) being oriented in an upright position as
they fall, and said chutes transferring said containers (A)
in the upright position and in a lined up arrangement onto
a downstream equipment; and a supporting stationary floor
(9)
CA 02295057 2006-07-13
7a
interposed between said open bottom of said compartments
(6) and said discharge chutes (8) , said stationary floor
being provided with a gap (10) providing a fall of said
containers (A); wherein each arrangement for supporting
said open end (Al) of each container (A) adjacent to said
leading side of each compartment (6) is formed by an
elongated member (11) to be shifted within the compartment
in order to accommodate for container size wherein all of
the elongated members (11) are connected to a second
structure (14) that is adjustable with respect to said
first structure (7) so that all of the compartments (6) are
adjusted simultaneously.
The present invention also provides an adjustable unit
for the unscrambling and lined up delivery of empty
containers (A) comprising: a receptacle (1) to receive in
bulk said containers (A) having a bottom (2) on which said
containers (A) accumulate, said bottom (2) having a
peripheral portion (3) spaced from a lateral wall (4) of
said receptacle thus defining a gap (5) through which the
containers (A) can pass; a plurality of adjacent
compartments (6) arranged in vicinity of said peripheral
portion (3) and connected to a first structure (7) so that
said compartments travel along a closed circuit, each
compartment (6) adapted to receive one container (A) in a
lying position and oriented with an open end (Al) adjacent
to a leading or trailing side, with respect to a direction
of said traveling, each of said compartments having an open
bottom delimited by arrangements (11 and 12) for supporting
an open end (Al) of one of the containers (A) said trailing
side having a stop arrangement for the bottom of said one
container (A); a plurality of discharge chutes (8)
associated with said first structure (7) , each discharge
chute (8) arranged below each of said compartments (6) to
receive said containers (A) being oriented in an upright
position as they fall, and said chutes transferring said
containers (A) in the upright position and in a lined up
CA 02295057 2006-07-13
7b
arrangement onto a downstream equipment; and a supporting
floor (27) that is connected to each compartment (6) and is
provided to close said open bottom thus supporting a
container (A) and to selectively open to thus drop said
container (A) into a corresponding discharge chute (8);
wherein each arrangement for supporting said open end (Al)
of each container (A) adjacent to said leading side of each
compartment (6) is formed by an elongated member (11) to be
shifted within the compartment in order to accommodate for
container size where all of the elongated members (11) are
connected to a second structure (14) that is adjustable
with respect to said first structure (7) so that all of the
compartments (6) are adjusted simultaneously.
For a better understanding of the invention there
follows below a detailed description of it with reference
to the enclosed drawings whose purpose is to merely
illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
and which therefore shall not be deemed to in any way limit
the scope of said invention. In said drawings:
Fig. 1 is a perspective partial view for better
clarity showing only one compartment with its corresponding
appendages and one discharge chute together with the
assembly of supporting structures;
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional diagrammed view of the
compartment and discharge chute of Fig. 1;
Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sections corresponding to an
exemplary embodiment wherein the supporting floor is not
stationary, but is formed by a movable floor associated to
each compartment;
Fig. 5 is a plan-view of a possible manually actuated
cam system for the joint and simultaneous adjustment of the
transversal shift of all of the elongated members for
supporting the neck of the container;
Figs. 6 and 7 are longitudinal sections in an
elevational view of a compartment illustrating its
longitudinal adaptation to containers of different heights
CA 02295057 2006-07-13
7c
and showing the two possible positions of the container
inside the compartment;
CA 02295057 1999-12-23
8
Figs. 8 to 11 are longitudinal sections in plan-
view of a compartment illustrating two exemplary
adaptations both in the transversal and the longitudinal
directions of said compartment to two different types of
container, in the two possible positions of the container
inside the compartment; and
Figs. 12 to 14 are cross-sections illustrating a
discharge chute in three exemplary dimensional
adaptations to three different types of container.
Firstly referring to Figs. 1 and 2 at numeral 6 is
indicated a compartment for a container A, said
compartment being integral with the periphery of an upper
portion of a first rotary, circular structure 7. It shall
be noted that in reality there is a plurality of adjacent
compartments 6 arranged all along the periphery of
structure 7, although for better clarity only one of them
has been represented in the drawing. In said Fig. 1 an
arrow indicates the sense of the rotational motion of
structure 7. Each compartment 6 is situated above a
discharge chute 8 leaving a spacing between them, said
discharge chute being of essentially rectangular cross-
section tapering from top to bottom, and being formed by
a leading wall 8a, a trailing wall 8b and a lateral wall
leaving an open side that is delimited by a stationary
wall 16 of an enveloping shell. Said discharge chute
travels along with the corresponding compartment 6 whose
bottom is open and is arranged directly above a
supporting stationary floor 9 of annular configuration
provided with a gap 10 provided to allow a container A to
pass by gravity from the inside of a compartment 6 to the
inside of a discharge chute 8. In this exemplary
embodiment a lateral wall of compartment 6 and the
lateral wall of discharge chute 8 are both jointly formed
by one only part 17 of bent sheet which is apt to be
transversally shifted and is supported, guided and
actuated at its upper and lower ends by means of fluid-
operated actuation units 21 integral with the first
structure 7. Said part 17 forms a recessed fold 17b in
correspondence with stationary floor 9 in order not to
CA 02295057 1999-12-23
9
interfere with said floor 9 when being transversally
shifted.
Within compartment 6 and in a leading area of the
same there is an elongated member 11 such as a
transversal bar or rod provided to form a leading support
for the neck Al of container A, said member 11 extending
through an oblong hole 17a of part 17, whereas an
arrangement 12 for trailingly supporting the neck Al of
said container A is fixed to the trailing wall of said
compartment. Integral with the trailing area of that
portion of part 17 that is situated within compartment 6
is to be found a stop arrangement 20 for the base or
bottom A2 of container A to prevent it from coming to
rest on support 12. Elongated member 11 is apt to be
shifted both in the transversal and longitudinal
directions within compartment 6 in order to adapt it to
containers of different lengths. For the adjustment of
the longitudinal shift all and each of the elongated
members 11 are associated to a second structure 14 that
travels along with the first structure 7, the relative
longitudinal position of the second structure 14 with
respect to the first structure 7 being adjustable thus
providing an identical longitudinal positioning of the
elongated member 11 in a joint and simultaneous manner in
all compartments 6. On the other hand, for the adjustment
of the transversal shift all and each of the elongated
members 11 are mounted in a radially sliding arrangement
in bearings 23 of the second structure 14 (see Fig. 5)
and provided with springs 26 that keep them with their
inner ends in abutment against cams 24 arranged on the
periphery of a disk 25 provided to turn concentrically
with respect to the second structure 14, and to be fixed
on this latter in a desired position thus providing an
identical transversal positioning of the elongated
members 11 in a joint and simultaneous manner in all of
the compartments 6.
All and each of the leading walls 8a of the
discharge chutes 8 are on their side connected to a third
structure 19 that travels along with said first structure
CA 02295057 1999-12-23
7, the relative longitudinal position of the third
structure 19 with respect to the first structure 7 being
adjustable thus providing an identical positioning of the
walls 8a in a joint and simultaneous manner in all of the
5 discharge chutes 8.
In an exemplary embodiment featuring an alternative
arrangement of the instant invention there is no
supporting stationary floor 9, but each compartment 6 has
a supporting floor 27 linked at its inner side in a
10 hinged connection to said compartment 6, said supporting
floor 27 being provided with an appendage to which is
fitted a wheel 28 running on a stationary track 29
thereby keeping said supporting floor 27 in its closed
position (Fig. 3). Track 29 has a gap in a portion of the
path thus causing wheel 28 to loose its support thereby
allowing supporting floor 27 to open by gravity thus
dropping container A into discharge chute 8 (Fig. 4).
In an alternative embodiment (not shown),
regardless of whether the floor provided is of the type
of the supporting stationary floor 9 or of the type of
the hinged supporting floor 27 each compartment 6 has an
adjustable, shiftable lateral wall 6a and an elongated
member 11 for leadingly supporting the neck Al of
container A, said member also being shiftable and
adjustable in a way similar to the way described above,
whereas each discharge chute 8 associated to each
compartment 6 is a one-piece member that is easily
removable, this arrangement hence combining the existence
of adjustable compartments with that of replaceable
discharge chutes.
Figs. 6 and 7 show in a sectional view a
compartment 6 traveling in the direction of the arrows
above the supporting annular stationary floor 9. Within
said compartment 6 and adjacent to the trailing wall
there is the arrangement 12 for trailingly supporting the
neck Al of container A, and the stop arrangement 20 for
the base A2 of said container. On the leading side of
compartment 6 is arranged through the oblong hole 17a the
elongated member 11 for leadingly supporting the neck Al
CA 02295057 1999-12-23
11
of container A. With solid line is illustrated a
container of the maximum allowable length, with the
elongated member 11 in its longest spacing position. With
dashed line is shown a container of the shortest
allowable length, with the elongated member 11 in its
shortest spacing position. Both in one and in the other
case it can be observed that when container A has come to
be situated with its neck Al pointing in the traveling
direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 6 the stop
arrangement 20 prevents the base A2 of the container A
from coming to rest on the trailingly supporting
arrangement 12, in such a way that the neck Al is
situated on the elongated member 11, this latter having
been duly positioned as per the length of the container
A, whereas the body of the container A is slidingly
resting on the supporting stationary floor 9. If the
container A has come to be situated with its bottom
adjacent to the leading side of the compartment with
respect to the traveling direction indicated by the arrow
(Fig. 7) said neck Al comes to rest on the trailingly
supporting arrangement since it does not interfere with
the stop arrangement 20 due to the smaller thickness of
the latter, in such a way that the base A2 of container A
comes to be situated behind the elongated member 11, and
the body of container A is slidingly resting on the
supporting stationary floor 9. As can be appreciated, in
all cases when arriving at gap 10 of the supporting
stationary floor 9 container A would start falling with
its base A2 first since the neck Al would be always
supported.
The next following Figs. 8 and 9 show in a
sectional plan-view a compartment 6 provided with the
supporting elongated member 11 situated in the shortest
distance position, and with a shiftable lateral wall 6a
situated in a smallest width position, containing an
exemplary container of the smallest size allowed by
compartment 6. Figs. 10 and 11 show the same compartment
of Figs. 8 and 9, but with the supporting elongated
member 11 situated in a longest distance position, and
CA 02295057 1999-12-23
12
with the shiftable lateral wall 6a situated in a biggest
width position so as to adapt to a container A of the
biggest allowable size. In Figs. 8 and 10 the containers
A are situated with the neck Al facing the leading side
with respect to the traveling direction indicated by the
arrows, whereas in Figs. 9 and 11 the containers A are
situated with the neck Al oriented in the opposite
direction with respect to the traveling direction
indicated by the arrows. It is obvious that between the
maximum length and width positions and the minimum length
and width positions countless different combinations can
be used in order to adapt the compartment to a wide
variety of different types of container.
Figs. 12 to 14 finally show a discharge chute 8 in
cross-sectional view formed by a leading wall 8a, a
trailing wall 8b and a lateral wall 8c, the open side
being delimited by the stationary wall 16 of a shell.
Said Figs. 12 to 14 show the three different exemplary
arrangements that can be adopted by said discharge chute
8 in order to adapt to three different types of
container. In said arrangements the trailing wall 8b is
fixed to the first structure 7 carrying the compartments
6; the lateral wall 8c is as well connected to said first
structure 7 but is apt to be transversally shifted, for
such a purpose being supported, guided and actuated by
fluid-operated actuation units 21; and the leading wall
8a is connected to a third structure 19 that travels
along with said first structure 7, the relative
longitudinal position of the second structure 19 with
respect to the first structure 7 being adjustable, so
that by combining said adjustments countless arrangements
can be obtained for the adaptation of the discharge chute
8 to different types of containers.
Although mechanical actuation units are preferred
for the relative adjustment and positioning between the
different shiftable structures, it is also feasible to
obtain said adjustment by means of a manual actuation,
blocking and unblocking means having been provided on
said structures.
